U.S. patent number 3,933,385 [Application Number 05/558,661] was granted by the patent office on 1976-01-20 for resilient filler and bumper support arrangement.
This patent grant is currently assigned to General Motors Corporation. Invention is credited to Robert L. Sanford, Casimer J. Wesolek.
United States Patent |
3,933,385 |
Sanford , et al. |
January 20, 1976 |
Resilient filler and bumper support arrangement
Abstract
A combined resilient filler support arrangement for physically
covering the space between an energy-absorber type automobile rear
bumper and the adjacent fixed rear body portion, and for inherently
providing a spring action capable of returning the components
thereof to their original positions after being deflected in
response to an external impact against the rear bumper.
Inventors: |
Sanford; Robert L.
(Williamston, MI), Wesolek; Casimer J. (Lansing, MI) |
Assignee: |
General Motors Corporation
(Detroit, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
24230436 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/558,661 |
Filed: |
March 17, 1975 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
293/136;
296/97.22; 293/117; 296/1.08 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R
19/26 (20130101); B60K 2015/0474 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60R
19/26 (20060101); B60R 19/24 (20060101); B60R
019/02 (); B60R 019/06 (); B61F 019/04 (); B62D
027/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;293/63,69R,69E,69V,89,99 ;296/1C,28R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wood, Jr.; M. Henson
Assistant Examiner: Beltran; Howard
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Moran; John P.
Claims
We claim:
1. A filler and support arrangement for use in the space between an
automotive bumper assembly and an adjacent body portion, said
bumper assembly including an exposed bumper and an unexposed
reinforcement member secured to the inner surface of said bumper,
said filler and support arrangement comprising a laterally
extending flexible plastic filler member, left- and right-hand
flexible plastic support members, each having an upper wall, a
lower wall, and an end wall interconnecting said upper and lower
walls, said filler member being secured to said end walls, said
left- and right-hand support members being secured at said
respective lower walls thereof to portions of an upper surface of
said reinforcement member, a plurality of substantially U-shaped
ribs secured at the outer edges thereof to the respective inner
surfaces of said upper, lower, and end walls of each of said left-
and right-hand support members for providing a spring-back reaction
of said filler member to its original position after being
deflected in response to an external impact against said
bumper.
2. A filler and support arrangement for use in the space between an
automotive bumper assembly and an adjacent body portion, said
bumper assembly including an exposed bumper and an unexposed
reinforcement member secured to the inner surface of said bumper,
said filler and support arrangement comprising a flexible plastic
filler member including a central compartment portion with
substantially horizontal lateral extensions formed on oppositely
disposed sides thereof, and a substantially vertical downwardly
extending flange formed along an edge of each of said lateral
extensions, left- and right-hand flexible plastic support members,
each having an upper wall, a lower wall, and an end wall
interconnecting said upper and lower walls, said filler member
being secured at said respective downwardly extending flanges
thereof to said end walls, said left- and right-hand support
members being secured at said respective lower walls thereof to
oppositely disposed end-portions of an upper surface of said
reinforcement member, a plurality of U-shaped ribs secured at the
outer edges thereof to the respective inner surfaces of said upper,
lower, and end walls of each of said left- and right-hand support
members for providing a spring-back reaction of said filler member
to its original substantially horizontal position after being
deflected in response to an external impact against said bumper
causing said bumper and, hence, said filler member to move relative
to said adjacent body portion.
3. A filler and support arrangement for use in the space between an
automotive bumper assembly and an adjacent body portion, said
bumper assembly including an exposed bumper and an unexposed
reinforcement member secured to the inner surface of said bumper,
said filler and support arrangement comprising a flexible plastic
filler member including a central compartment portion suitable for
mounting a license plate therein, with substantially horizontal
lateral extensions formed on oppositely disposed sides of said
compartment portion, and a substantially vertical downwardly
extending flange formed along an edge of each of said lateral
extensions, left- and right-hand flexible plastic support members,
each having an upper wall, a lower wall, and an end wall
interconnecting said upper and lower walls, said filler member
being secured at said respective downwardly extending flanges
thereof to said end walls, said left- and right-hand support
members being secured at said respective lower walls thereof to an
upper surface of said reinforcement member, said lateral extensions
of said filler member being formed to conform to said respective
upper walls of said support member, said downwardly extending
flanges of said filler member being formed to conform to said
respective end walls of said support members, and said lower walls
of said support members being formed to conform to oppositely
disposed end-portions of said bumper reinforcement member, a
plurality of U-shaped ribs secured at the outer edges thereof to
the respective inner surfaces of said upper, lower, and end walls
of each of said left- and right-hand support members for providing
a spring-back reaction of said filler member to its original
substantially horizontal position after being deflected in response
to an external impact against said bumper causing said bumper and,
hence, said filler member to move relative to said adjacent body
portion.
Description
This invention relates generally to automotive bumper-to-body
filler means and, more specifically, to such filler means having
provisions incorporated therein for "springing back" to an original
free position after being deflected for any reason.
With the advent of automobile bumpers having energy-absorber means
associated therewith for returning the bumpers to their original
positions after any movement or deflection occasioned by external
impact thereagainst, such bumpers having generally been spaced a
predetermined distance apart from the adjacent automobile body,
there has arisen a need to not only fill the space therebetween for
the sake of appearance, but to assure that such filler will be able
to deflect or buckle, etc., with movement of the bumper relative to
the body and, thence, be able to return to its original position
upon retraction by the energy-absorber type bumper.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide improved
bumper-to-body filler means which satisfies the above-described
need.
Another object of the invention is to provide improved
bumper-to-body filler means including an exposed filler member, and
associated nonexposed filler support members which support the
filler member in a predetermined position intermediate the bumper
and the adjacent body and serve to cause the filler to "spring
back" after being deflected or buckled for any reason, such as by
external impact thereagainst or against the automobile bumper.
A further object of the invention is to provide improved
bumper-to-body filler means including a filler member extending
across the width of the automobile in the space between the bumper
and the adjacent automobile body, and left- and right-hand support
members therefor, each of such support members including an upper
wall to which the filler member is secured, a lower wall which is
secured to the bumper assembly, and one end wall interconnecting
the upper and lower walls, with a plurality of spaced U-shaped
brackets or ribs formed around the inner surfaces of the upper,
end, and lower walls, serving to provide a spring-back action to
the end and upper walls and, hence, to the filler member in the
event of any deflection thereof resulting from an external source
impact against the associated bumper.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be
apparent when reference is made to the following description and
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a rear view of an automobile embodying the invention;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken along the
planes of lines 2--2 and 3--3, respectively, of FIG. 1, and looking
in the direction of the arrows; and
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the FIG. 1
structure.
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 illustrates
an automobile 10 having a rear bumper 12 mounted laterally
thereacross, just below a pair of tail light housings 14 mounted
substantially at the corners of the automobile body and an
intermediate body portion 16. The latter body portion 16 may
consist of a metal strip or a series of laterally aligned back-up
light and/or turn signal lenses mounted adjacent the bottom edge of
a trunk lid 18. A housing or compartment 20 for a license plate
mounting bracket and/or a gasoline tank inlet cover may be formed
so as to separate the body portion 16 into left- and right-hand
sections.
A bumper-to-body flexible filler and filler support arrangement 22
is mounted longitudinally between the bumper 12 and the rear body
sections 16, and laterally between the tail light housings 14.
As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, the bumper-to-body flexible filler and
filler support arrangement 22 includes a molded plastic filler
member 24 mounted on substantially a horizontal or slightly
upwardly sloping plane, as desired, in the space between the upper
edge of the bumper and the bottom edges of the body portion 16. As
may be noted in FIG. 4, the filler member 24 includes a central
open portion which serves as the compartment 20, the central open
portion being formed to include bottom and side walls 26 and 28,
respectively, and a U-shaped flange 30 formed along the rear edges
of the bottom and side walls 26 and 28. Apertures 32, formed in the
side walls 28, serve as a means for mounting light sources 34
(FIGS. 1 and 2) for illuminating the usual license plate which may
be mounted therebetween. Substantially vertical, downwardly
extending flanges 36 and 38 are formed on the rear edge of the
filler member 24, on respective opposite sides of the compartment
20 for a purpose to be explained.
The filler member 24 is supported by a pair of left- and right-hand
filler support members 40 and 42, respectively, (FIG. 4), each
having an upper wall 44, a lower or bottom wall 46, and an end wall
48 interconnecting the upper and bottom walls. A plurality of
flexible U-shaped support brackets or ribs 50 are formed so as to
be secured along the outer edges thereof against the respective
inner surfaces of the upper, bottom and end walls 44, 46, and 48.
The ribs 50 may be either separately formed, detachable parts or
integrally molded components of the filler member 24.
The filler member 24 is secured to the end walls 48 of the filled
support members 40 and 42 by suitable fasteners 52 (FIG. 3) mounted
through the respective flanges 36 and 38, while the filler support
members 40 and 42, in turn, are secured to the upper surface 54 of
a reinforcement member 56 by suitable fasteners 58 (FIG. 2) mounted
through the respective bottom walls 46. The reinforcement member 56
is secured by any suitable means, such as welding, to the inner
surface of the bumper 12. As may be noted in FIG. 4, the upper
surface 54 of the reinforcement member 56 includes a plurality of
pockets or slots 60 formed across the width thereof, i.e.,
perpendicular to the bumper 12, in order to better reinforce the
bumper 12. Suitable energy absorbers 62 (FIG. 3) are secured by
fasteners 64 adjacent the respective vertical mounting surfaces 66
(FIG. 4) formed adjacent the ends of the reinforcement member 56,
to return the latter and its associated bumper 12 to its original
position after any impact-actuated movement thereof. It may be also
noted in FIG. 4 that the bottom walls 46 of the filler support
members 40 and 42 are shaped so as to conform to the general shape
of the surface 54 of the member 52, spanning any adjacent pockets
60.
The filler member 24 and the filler support members 40 and 42 are
each formed of a suitable plastic material. Upon impact, the
plastic materials can deflect without damage thereto, with the ribs
50 providing a "spring" action for returning the filler member 24
to its original position with respect to the bumper 12 and the
laterally aligned lenses 16.
It should be apparent that the invention provides external means
for enhancing the appearance of the rear portion of an automobile,
while including inherent means for restoring the inventive assembly
to its original position after having been distorted by impact
thereagainst.
It should also be apparent that the inventive filler and support
arrangement may be used in conjunction with either a front or a
rear bumper system.
While but one embodiment of the invention has been shown and
described, other modifications thereof are possible.
* * * * *